Mumbai’s Air Quality Now Worse Than Delhi

Mumbai: As the haze continues to wrap the skyline of Mumbai, it became an even more polluted city than the national capital New Delhi, with an average air quality index (AQI) of 275. The average air quality index of Delhi is 211.

An index measure between 201 and 300 is considered poor and harmful to sensitive people. In previous days, Delhi’s AQI has improved and at the same time, the temperatures in Mumbai rose.

The areas in Mumbai that fall under very poor category (between 301 and 400) were Mazgaon with 342, followed by Bandra Kurla Complex (327), Bhandup (327), Borivali (319) and Colaba (320). Navi Mumbai is also one location with poor air quality, with an AQI of 309.

At the Colaba observatory of IMD, the minimum recorded temperature was 23 degree Celsius. Santacruz too was recorded to be at 21.5 degrees.

Ajay Kumar, the IMD scientist, said, “Winds are easterly to northeasterly in the night, which bring in warm air. Owing to this, temperatures are on the rise. Besides, there is a westerly trough, which is moving northwest of the country. This is pulling in a lot of moisture from the Arabian Sea.”

The city’s lower AQI was a result of rising pollution level. A resident at Marine drive told the Times of India, “I was in Bandra and then in the evening came towards south Mumbai and noticed that the haze was everywhere. It was difficult to see things at a distance. The weather has been very gloomy and if felt that it would rain too at some point. The kind of weather Mumbai has been witnessing has not brought any respite from the heat.”

While the city suffers from the poor air quality, Safar’s project director Dr Gufran Beig said, “While the air is in the poor category now, we are expecting the same to improve as the day progresses. There is a western disturbance which is pulling in a lot of moisture, but as the sun comes up, its heat would reduce moisture and pollution levels, thereby improving air quality.”